The world’s largest maker of farm equipment reported unexpectedly strong profits today. Deere and Company spokesman Ken Golden says it was the best third-quarter ever in net sales. Construction, forestry, commercial and consumer divisions are performing stronger than expected and that’s offset continuing slow sales in agriculture. After four slow years for farming-implement sales, Golden says U-S and Canadian farmers are seeing an upturn and should be buying more John Deere farm products in the future. But he adds the coming fourth quarter is one that typically is a slow time of year for Deere. It will be slow again, even flat, he predicts, but with up to just fifty-million, this quarter will bring in Deere with a yearly total a bit better than expected. With the outlook for slow sales, production will be lowered in the coming quarter, and Golden admits that will have an affect on workers at Deere and Company farm-implement factories. Golden says workers at the Waterloo plant have been told they’ll be on layoff the final week in October, and in East Moline, Illinois, the harvester works will be shut down for a time in the fall. Golden says this has wrapped up the sixth improving quarter in a row for the implement maker.